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Is smoking allowed by staff and residents?
No. The KDOC became a tobacco-free environment in March 2003.
Are the resident living units air conditioned?
No. However, residents housed in facilities with or without appropriate circulation or air-handling systems are permitted to have an electric fan in their cell/bunk-area except as required for safety and/or security considerations. Fans are purchased with Inmate Benefit Fund monies for indigent residents. Non-indigent residents may purchase fans through the facility's canteen.
Why is a non-maximum custody resident in a maximum-security facility?
The security designation of a correctional facility is based upon its physical attributes (i.e., architectural, environmental) and, as it relates to residents, the type of physical constraints deemed appropriate for a particular resident. The security designation represents the highest custody resident that the facility may hold. For example, a maximum-security facility is capable of housing minimum-, medium- and maximum-custody residents. A minimum-security facility is capable of housing only minimum-custody residents.
Why are residents allowed to possess electronic equipment (radios, televisions, mp3 players, etc.,)?
Eligible residents are allowed to possess electronic equipment in an effort to prevent problems due to resident idleness.
Who provides funding for residents to obtain electronic equipment while in prison?
Residents are responsible for providing their own electronic equipment through personal funds derived from assigned work programs or funds sent in from outside sources.
How is recreation/leisure time equipment funded for the resident population?
Equipment is provided through the Inmate Benefit Fund. The majority of the fund is comprised of proceeds from the resident canteen contract and telephone services.
What is available in the facility canteen for residents to purchase?
A facility canteen is a store through which residents are provided an opportunity to purchase allowable items such as for hygiene, snacks or other property items. For a list of available items and the cost of the items, please visit the canteen section.
Are residents compensated when assigned to work programs?
Depending on skill level, residents may earn from $0.45 to $1/05 per day.
Are resident work details available to perform work for community organizations?
Please check with each individual correctional facility directly for information regarding assistance with local government or public non-profit organization projects.
Are residents financially responsible for housing and services they receive while incarcerated?
During incarceration, residents are assessed the following fees:
What is an inter-facility transfer?
Residents may be transferred to any KDOC facility consistent with the custody classification, gender and other medical and/or programmatic needs of the resident and/or the management and operational needs of the KDOC.
A resident initiated, inter-facility transfer request must be submitted to the resident's unit team counselor through a Form-9. Residents in need of security transfers are given priority followed by those who have medical and mental health issues and program needs. Visitation is important but does not take priority over these other transfer needs. As much as the KDOC would like to house all residents near family and support group members, the KDOC is not able to accommodate every visitation transfer request. Those residents with the best record and who have waited the longest are given priority in granting visitation transfers.
What is the interstate compact?
Kansas has adopted an interstate compact with approximately 30 states that allows for the placement of a small number of Kansas residents in those states as needed for security considerations and subject to the approval of the other state. Interstate compact transfers are not considered for visitation purposes.
What is a lockdown?
Although infrequent, a lockdown can occur in cases of emergencies, disturbances or disruptions of a general nature or that involve a substantial number of residents. While in lockdown status, residents remain in their cells. Visitation, phone calls, along with resident work programs and activities, are halted during a lockdown.
What is good time?
Residents who demonstrate good work and behavior are eligible to earn good time credits which decrease part of the term of their incarceration.
Residents sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of 50 percent (one day earned for one day served). Residents sentenced under the determinate sentencing structure are eligible to earn good time credits at a rate of either 15 percent or 20 percent, depending on the date the crime was committed. Offenders sentenced under the determinate sentencing structure are also eligible to earn good time credits during their period of post-release supervision at a rate of 50 percent.
Good time credits may be withheld or forfeited for failure to comply with rules and regulations, resulting in the resident remaining in prison for a longer period of time. Good time credits withheld or forfeited on post-release supervision will result in the offender remaining under supervision for a longer period of time.
How is an resident's sentence computed and how does good time work?
Please see the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines Desk Reference Manual available through the Kansas Sentencing Commission.
Residents earn good time in accordance with their sentences while incarcerated. The crime carrying the longest sentence and post-release time is the sentence that will be used to compute the amount of time that will be served.
Upon completion of the prison portion of the imposed sentence, a resident may be released to serve a term of post-release supervision, plus the amount of good time earned and retained while imprisoned.
If the resident is released to post release and finishes the post release without being revoked, the offender will then start serving the good time the offender earned while incarcerated. If the offender is on post release and is revoked, the offender will be brought back in to a correctional facility.
If the resident is a parole violator and was sentenced under the indeterminate sentencing law, the resident would be held until seen by the Kansas Parole Board.
Sentence computation is completed by a special unit at the KDOC’s central office.
Kansas sentencing laws are very complex and every detail cannot be covered here. This is intended to provide a general understanding of the good time processes.
What does sex offender management status mean?
The KDOC may manage residents as sex offenders based on their convictions or behavior. This status may affect the classification, visitation and available programming while incarcerated. It may also affect a resident's supervision upon release. This status may include any resident with one or more of the following: current sex crime conviction, prior adult or juvenile sex crime conviction, conviction for sexually-motivated crime, institutional behavior that shows a pattern of sexually-motivated behavior and/or designation as sex offender by the override panel.
Can a resident's sex offender management status be changed?
Residents may request an override of their sex offender status by submitting a request that includes the specific guidelines they would like changed to the Unit Team or Parole Officer, depending on the resident's or offender’s location. Specific sex offender conditions examples are: contact with minors, attending sex offender treatment or being managed as a sex offender.
The Unit Team or Parole Officer will complete and submit an override packet to the KDOC’s central office for review by an override panel, which meets once a month.
Are religious services/programs available to residents?
Every resident has the right to freedom of religious affiliation and voluntary worship. The exercise of such rights may be subject to the requirements of ensuring the safe, secure and orderly operation of the correctional facility. Chaplains and volunteers provide a range of religious services, pastoral counseling, study groups and other special events.
Can a resident and I have a wedding ceremony in a correctional facility?
Yes. Residents make their request through the pastoral care department at which time the chaplain will follow a set of guidelines and protocol for the events leading up to the ceremony that must be approved by the Warden. This will include careful planning and may include marital counseling. The chaplain will lead the couple through this process and advise them of the criteria while keeping administrative staff informed of the proceedings.
All expenses associated with the marriage ceremony are the responsibility of the resident or prospective spouse.
Can a resident be released to attend a funeral or make a bedside visit?
No. The loss of a loved one is a traumatic and stressful time that is intensified by also being incarcerated. In an effort to make this time as comfortable as possible for the resident, the KDOC has several resources available to the resident population.
The pastoral care department and mental health counselors along with unit staff work together to help an resident in his/her time of need.
What is a functional incapacitation release?
Kansas law provides some residents, who are very ill, with the option to apply for a functional incapacitation release. Functional incapacitation is defined as a medical or mental health condition, including one rendering the resident terminally ill to the extent that death is imminent, resulting in the afflicted resident being incapable of causing physical harm.
Applications are submitted to the KDOC and subsequently referred to the Kansas Parole Board. The application cannot be approved unless the Parole Board determines that the resident is functionally incapacitated and does not pose a risk to public safety.
Are there legal services available to an resident?
Residents also have access to a prison law library and legal materials through LexisNexis research which provides legal research materials.
Residents also may use a Form-9 or write a letter requesting services to obtain the assistance of Legal Services for Prisoners, Inc.
Legal Services for Prisoners, is a non-profit group that provides legal services to indigent residents in Kansas correctional facilities. The program's goal is to ensure that residents' rights to the courts are met to pursue non-frivolous claims. Funding for Legal Services for Prisoners is administered by the State Board of Indigents' Defense Services although the entity is not a state agency.
The program currently operates offices in El Dorado Correctional Facility, Lansing Correctional Facility, and Topeka Correctional Facility. However, a resident may apply for services at any correctional facility. Legal Services for Prisoners. For more information, contact Legal Services for Prisoners at (785) 746-7437.
What happens the day of release?
Each facility works with the resident to ensure the resident receives all remaining funds in his/her resident account. Transportation is established prior to the day of release and the resident is given civilian clothes to wear out of the facility. The resident will be given instructions on reporting to his/her parole officer upon release. The person picking up the resident must show their driver’s license to facility staff prior to leaving.
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]]>Inmates deposit 10 percent of their incoming money less any outstanding obligations into a forced savings account. Use of saved funds is restricted to payment of garnishment, identifications (birth certificate, driver's license, and social security card), civil filing fees, transcript fees, subpoena fees or other Warden-approved uses that facilitate an inmate’s re-entry back in to the community.
All forced savings account funds, plus interest, are returned to the inmate upon release.
For information about sending funds to an inmate, please visit the inmate banking section.
Can I find out how much money an inmate has in his/her account?
No. The KDOC does not share any information (e.g. account balance or how the inmate spent the funds) on an inmate’s trust account. To confirm whether an inmate has received money, you may contact Centralized Inmate Banking at 785-746-7630. You will be asked to supply the date the funds were sent, the method used to send the funds, the amount of funds sent and the sender’s name.
What happens if an inmate has no money or very little in his account?
Indigent status is defined as an inmate whose inmate bank account, during the previous month, has a cumulative spendable amount of less than $12. Inmates who are indigent will be supplied with essential items including writing supplies, postage and personal hygiene items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, disposable razor (general population inmates only), comb or pick and soap.
What can inmates do with their money?
Each facility has a canteen, a store through which inmates purchase allowable items. Inmates can purchase postage, snacks, personal products, radios, TVs, other electronic equipment, handicraft materials, shoes and other approved items depending upon an inmate’s incentive level. Inmates also may request disbursements for expenses such as medical co-pays, copies, magazine/newspaper subscriptions and legal fees. Court-ordered or statutorily mandated disbursements such as restitution, child support and room/board costs also can be collected.
May family or friends provide glasses, shoes or other items?
No. The KDOC’s medical contractor will provide for items that are deemed necessary, such as glasses.
Can inmates work?
Inmates must work unless they have a medical condition or other approved reason that will not allow for work assignments.
Examples of facility work assignment areas are food service, laundry and custodial work. Other employment possibilities include work release programs, traditional correctional industries, which are operated directly by KDOC staff, and private correctional industries programs where the KDOC enters into agreements with private firms.
Inmates in traditional industries receive incentive pay ranging from $0.25-$0.60 per hour. This compares to a maximum of $1.05 per day that inmates may receive for facility work assignments. Through KDOC partnerships with private industries, inmates earn at least federal minimum wage. Traditional/private industries program inmates pay 25 percent of their gross wages in partial reimbursement for room and board.
In addition to other KDOC administrative fees, inmates pay court-ordered restitution, child support and federal and state taxes. More employment information is available in the FAQ's employment section.
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]]>All residents may send and receive mail. Residents may receive letters, post cards, photographs and non-musical greeting cards. Please note that all letters are subject to being read and to inspection for illegal or unauthorized items.
How do I know where to address a letter?
A resident’s location can be found through the Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository (KASPER) through the KDOC’s website at www.doc.ks.gov/kasper. Once you have identified the facility where the resident is housed, look up the correctional facility mailing addresse here.
How do I address a letter?
Click here to see an example of how to address a letter.
Can I send stamps to a resident?
No. Residents may not receive stamps through the mail. Stamps, envelopes and paper can be purchased through the facility’s canteen, a store through which residents are provided an opportunity to purchase allowable items.
Can I send a magazine or book?
Yes, but the items must be mailed directly from the publisher or vendor. Once the item leaves the store, you will not be able to mail it to the correctional facility. Many people find that websites, like Amazon.com, are a good way to purchase the books and have them mailed directly to the resident. If you purchase a book at a bookstore, ask the bookstore to mail it to the resident. Books may be either paperback or hard cover. Magazines and newspaper subscriptions are also an option.
However, a resident may receive printed material, including newspaper and magazine clippings, if the material is included as part of a first-class letter that does not exceed one ounce in total weight.
Each resident is allowed to have 12 books and 10 magazines in their cell. When a resident reaches the limit, the resident must remove items to allow more to be sent in. A resident can mail them home, donate the materials to charity or throw them away.
The correctional facility will review the reading materials and will censor materials that are determined to be a security threat, are of a sexually explicit nature or contain nudity. The facility will not allow role playing games or books related to those games.
The decision made by the staff of the designated facility may be appealed by a resident to the Secretary of Corrections or, at the direction of the Secretary, to the Secretary’s designee.
Can I send photographs?
Yes. Residents are allowed to keep up to 10 personal letters and 50 photographs (8X10 or smaller). Polaroid photographs are not allowed.
Why was my letter returned as containing sexually explicit content?
No resident may possess any sexually explicit materials, including drawings, paintings, writing, pictures, items and devices. The material is considered sexually explicit if the purpose of the material is sexual arousal or gratification and the material meets either of the following conditions:
Why was my mail returned to me as censored?
When mail is censored or rejected, the sender, if known, is notified of the reason for the action and provided with an opportunity to appeal the decision.
Some common reasons why mail is withheld are:
What if I don't want to have contact with an inmate?
If a resident contacts you and you do not want contact with him/her, the facility can issue an “Order to Cease Correspondence” to the resident. If you have safety concerns or are a victim of the resident, please contact the Office of Victim Services at 1-866-404-6732.
For more information about resident mail, please review Kansas Administrative Regulation (K.A.R.) 44-12-601, Inmate Writing and Other Inmate Communications or Publications. Also, Internal Management Policy and Procedure (IMPP) 12-120 Secuirty and Control: Control of Inmate Personal Property provides additional information.
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